Saying intellectually honest makes it sound like they are better people. But it is just the platform they run on. The two parties essentially pick sides on any possibly divisive issue that gains some traction, because polarization benefits them. Covid for example, 30 years ago, both side were provax. But a vaccine mandate wouldn’t happened. As soon as the whole mask thing came up, one side saw people unhappy about wearing masks as an opportunity to divide the populace. So both sides moved to the extremes that already fit thier platforms.